Fictional
by Maaya
Summary: It wasn't until Edward's late teens he discovered the wonders of fictional stories. Elricest


Light Elricest (shounen ai), references to books, crappy first-line, not beta-read, sappy sap

**Fictional**  
by Maaya

Edward likes books, books are his favourite things. Besides Alphonse, of course, but he wasn't, had never been (despite others' comments) a thing.

Edward had been narrow-minded when they were little, only enjoyed his father's forbidden alchemy books. Most probably because they were forbidden. (Mom hadn't thought Father would've liked to have the children touch his precious books and therefore told them not to.) She realized, too late, that telling Edward not to do something was the same thing as making him do it. At least as long as mom didn't wear that scary face.

In their earlier teens, there hadn't been time to read anything else than alchemy texts. They had spent half their lives looking for alchemy texts and books and scrolls about human transmutation.

So it wasn't until Edward's late teens he discovered the wonders of fictional stories.

Alphonse couldn't remember if it had been Farman or Hawkeye or Fury or another person entirely, but someone had given Edward the book _'Treasure Island'_ by Robert Louis Stevenson one day when he had been stuck in the office with nothing to do. Perhaps it had only been as a joke, but the whole office had been amused at how completely engrossed their young almost-mascot got into the pirate-adventures and treasure hunts.

Edward is a fast reader; he forced the book upon Alphonse after a few hours of feverish reading.

The older brother looked a little lost, then, without anything to do, and Hawkeye took pity on him and let him borrow her favourites by Jules Verne and Edgar Allan Poe, all of which the young man read with much enthusiasm. But much to everyone's confusion, he didn't start reading until the day after that. He said he wanted to digest the last book he'd just read.

They had all picked up the hints by now, and the military group made it their duty to recommend their personal favourites to the youngster. Hawkeye gave him a much appreciated Christmas gift in shape of the _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy and Havoc some less appreciated, rather perverted actually, works by Anne Rice. A birthday gift from Mustang turned out to be Sun Tzu's _Art of War_, which had been more interesting than Edward had wanted to admit in front of his commanding officer.

Alphonse knows all too well how much Edward likes books, because Edward has forced his little brother to read all the well-liked ones. In need of someone to discuss the characters, the ending, the dialogues and the plot with, apparently. Alphonse never complains. He likes books almost as much as his brother.

A book is also the ideal thing to buy as an apology after an unusually heated argument between the two. Because Alphonse and Edward argues more than anyone believes, more than a normal couple; they're brothers after all. They have always argued a lot.

The seriousness in each fight varies a lot, not necessarily depending on the reason to the argument. Sometimes Edward comes home late, after a bad day, having dealt with bad people, and finds that Alphonse ate the last Danish. It causes a squabble, more heated than it should be, because Edward is tired and has looked forward to that Danish the whole day, damn it!

Alphonse is offended; no one wrote Edward's name on the Danish, how could he have known? It's not his fault that Niisan doesn't write his name on it!

And then they fight, Edward makes a martyr of himself and goes to bed hungry. Silly, Alphonse thinks at first. Then he starts feeling guilty, just a little, because Edward works the whole days and the only thing Alphonse does is to sit in their apartment, 'recovering'. He is just a bit too short, yet, to be able to show himself at the Headquarters, a little shorter than the armour he had 'worn' for so long. But he grows very quickly, and a lot, everything indicates he will stand at the right length very soon. He stayed with Pinako and Winry for a while, but Edward couldn't be away from the military forever and Alphonse doesn't want to be away from Edward for too long. He can walk outside, around in Central, no one unreliable knows what he looks like. If he shows himself with Edward at the Headquarters, though...he'd have to introduce himself as Alphonse Elric.

But nothing denies the fact that it is right now Edward who earns all the money, Edward who is still in the military and Edward who has to be around annoying officers all day. And the annoying officers are not only Mustang and Havoc, Alphonse knows.

Alphonse sneaks out, when Edward has fallen asleep, and goes to the bookstore around the corner. He considers buying that book by Jonathan Swift, but maybe Edward would take offence and think of it as mockery of his height. Gulliver does seem to spend time around small people.

He buys _Tom Sawyer_ instead. The girl behind the counter calls him by his first name by now. She smiles and asks how his brother is doing.

When Edward wakes up the next day and goes to eat breakfast, he finds the book on the table. At first, his mind is too tired to understand why there is a new book on the table. Then his mind starts working, and he remembers their argument last night.

He doesn't comment, but he opens the book cautiously and reads the first few lines before looking up with a blissful, sleepy smile, meant for only Alphonse to see.

They don't share a thank-you-I'm-sorry kiss, because Alphonse and Edward only kiss when they are excited, aroused.

That special smile they share is almost better.

**- e n d -**

C&C?


End file.
